What are challenges posed for public sector decision makers by the government performance and results act of 1993 (GPRA)? Ad what can be done to enhance the possibility of effective performance measurement The GPRA calls for a vigorous implemetation of performance measurement across federal agencies by 199. Measures will be employed for both strategic management (planning) and evaluation of results (scorekeeping). A more formal use of performance measurement will surely bring many benmal use of performance measurement will surely bring many benefits. As Robert S. Kravchuk and Ronald W. Schack point out, however, the development of performance measurement sustems will introduce new, and perhaps unforeseen, problems. Kravchuk and Schack argue that increasing reliance on formal measurement approaches, at the expense of "hnds-on" management and evaluation, will place senior officials more in a cybernetic mode of decisionmaking, tahn a rational-actor mode. Paradoxically, performance measures may mininform as much as they inform, if users are unaware of the subtle limitations of measurement systems. The authors argue that the rigors of general systems theory can contribute ten general design principles for effective performance measurement systems.

Public administration review PAR

July/August 1996 volume 56 numero 4